


Pennies from Heaven

by Periphyton



Category: Good Omens - Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-10
Updated: 2019-08-10
Packaged: 2020-08-14 15:36:52
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 513
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20194621
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Periphyton/pseuds/Periphyton
Summary: A very short story about Crowley, his gluing coins to the street trick, and God.





	Pennies from Heaven

Pennies from Heaven

Crowley had been having a wonderful day. He had woken up from a lovely nap in a nest of warm blankets to go about a perfect day of demonic mischief. He caused miscommunication and mayhem at every possible opportunity, never inflicting direct pain but pushing with just enough temptation to let them figure out how hard to resist. Around mid day he stopped for a glass of wine and inspiration before deciding to let it all out and have some fun. And what was more fun than watching busy, self-important pompous idiots making fools of themselves picking up coins glued to the street? Nothing! Except watching busy, self-important pompous idiots making fools of themselves while getting cheerfully drunk at the same time. 

So that is what he did. Glue, coins, busy street, a glamour so nobody actually saw him setting things up, and wine. Now all he had to do was sit back and watch the fun. And drink wine, a sip for every person who stopped. Two sips if they swore. 

Finally the evening wore on and the crowds thinned out. Crowley was about to call it a night when he saw one last person try to pick up one coin after another. Only this person wasn’t one of the pompous idiots he’d been gleefully watching all day. This person was pulling at the coins with exhausted desperation well matched by their worn, dirty clothes and rank smell. 

“Dear God, please,” they prayed, as each coin stayed fixed to the street. Crowley watch as the person hunched over, crying, fingers scrambling over the edges trying to pry it off. “Please God, I need something!”

Crowley tugged on his hair in frustration. What was the point of praying to a useless God who punished questions and never once bothered to stop plagues? Stupid humans. Well, if God couldn’t get off Her ass to answer a prayer, at least he could do something. Crowley snapped his fingers and the coin came off the street. This gave the human just enough extra hope to try again, until one by one every single coin was picked up and stashed away in a pocket. Each piece of metal was a small, shining spark against a dark world that didn’t give a shit about someone who cold and dirty.

When this was done Crowley left the street and went to get more wine. It had been a good day overall, he decided. Plenty of demonic activity in the morning and afternoon, and a chance to stick a middle finger to the heavens by answering a prayer God couldn’t be arsed to deal with. A bottle of wine was the perfect way to celebrate that and set plans for tomorrow. 

******

Somewhere far away, near by and everywhere, God smiled at Her beloved demon. Her dearest trickster had been exactly where She needed him to be that night, and very carefully without blessing it She improved the quality of the vintage in his bottle. She was pleased with him, and he had earned himself a good drink.

**Author's Note:**

> I deliberately left out every description about who person was, and what city, time period, and currency was being used. Feel free to fill it in yourself with whatever you want. 
> 
> I see Crowley as more as a trickster than a demon at heart. The work that he takes pride in falls more in the realm of trickster games than gratuitously evil and pain - he lets humans do that and just claims it was his work after the fact. Also crows are associated with Trickster tropes in many cultures, and it fits even his chosen name and black feathers.


End file.
